Developing strong communication skills is essential to effective leadership. Our after-school program prepares children with the knowledge, skills and confidence necessary to master writing and public speaking. Also, our debate, creative writing and drama summer camps foster innovation and collaboration. We offer our programs in-person and online via zoom and google classroom.

Choose the right programs and sessions for your child; currently 4 programs available; 5 TBD; 3 temporarily closed.

Filter activities :

• Acting (Film & TV)
• Entrepreneurship
• Instructor lead (group)
• Language Instruction
• Leadership training
• Public Speaking/Debate
• Reading
• STEM
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• Test preparation
• Writing / journalism

The Our Kids review of Power of Words Academy

As workplaces become more collaborative, the ability to clearly express ideas is, perhaps more than ever before, a core skill across all areas of interest. No matter how good an idea is, if it can’t be expressed effectively, it risks being lost in the shuffle of a very busy world. Likewise, the old saw is as true now as it ever was: great stories happen to those who can tell them. That’s the point where Power of Words begins, namely that student success is tied to effective written and verbal communication. It’s also about finding a bit of joy in there as well—debate is a growing area of interest in the public and private school sectors, not only because it’s important, but also because it’s fun. Power of Words offers afterschool and weekend sessions throughout the year to give students a chance to grow their skills in a supportive, dedicated environment. In addition, the summer sessions offer opportunities to drill down on debate and language skills, offering some variety to the season’s activities while also helping with the summer lull in academic work. While some programs aim at the high school level, the Power of Words session allow younger students to get their feet wet, which is a draw for many of the families that enroll.

Hafsa Esmail, Founder, North York Campus Director

Dear Parents and Guardians,  

Welcome to Power of Words Academy. We have campuses in North York (230 The Donway West) and Richmond Hill (10201 Yonge Street). We look forward to working with your children! 

After-School Program

Power of Words enrichment writing and public speaking program is for children in grades 2 to 8. The program runs the school year from September to June with classes held once a week for 90 minutes.

We offer a unique program that is stimulating and challenging, where your child will build the skills needed to master the art of writing and public speaking.  At our Academy, we create a setting that gets students excited about learning!  We are committed to guiding students and help them understand the value of academic achievement, personal goal settings and high expectations.  The Power of Words platform is based on best practices, is researched based, and aligned with the Ontario School Curriculum.  

At our Academy, we believe that teaching is the key to student success.  Our teachers use a variety of instructional strategies to help students succeed in the program.  Our teachers have in-depth experience working with children and have a genuine interest in every students success and well-being.   Our low student-to-instructor ratio provides teachers with the opportunity to develop strong relationships with their students and offer quality one-on-one time as needed.  We are proud to have dedicated, enthusiastic teachers at Power of Words Academy.  They are committed to the program, and to parents, to ensure that each student has a positive and enriching academic experience.

Our mission is for your child to gain the knowledge, skills and confidence necessary to become effective writers and strong public speakers.  After completing our program, your child will overcome fears, boost self-esteem and confidence, improve critical thinking skills and develop effective communication and leadership skills.

Summer Camps 

Power of Words Academy is committed in providing the highest quality of written and oral communication training to children in a fun and nurturing environment. Our innovative summer camp curriculum provides campers with creative opportunities that aid in the development of self-awareness, critical thinking, team building and personal growth.

Creative Writing and Drama Camp
This camp is an active and engaging week of creativity for kids, building their story writing skills along with their confidence in performing for an audience! The teacher-camper ratio is 1:8. Choose full-day or your preferred half-day session for the week.

Campers will create and publish their own books! Campers will work together with the teachers to choose themes and content they are inspired and excited by. The teachers will take students through the planning, writing and editing stages of creating their own narrative story. At the end of the week, the campers will receive digital and print copies of their books!

In the afternoon, the program helps kids build their confidence, as well as public speaking, leadership, teamwork, and collaboration skills. This session of the camp uses storytelling and role playing, along with activities including solving mysteries and learning to be a detective, through drama and improv games. Each day ends with kids performing for their peers. This camp is especially valuable for those who are timid and reserved!

Debate Camp
The Debate camp is designed in an interactive way, with a focus on developing case construction, refutation and counterpoint skills. This camp inspires kids to speak and debate on point with structure and confidence.  The teacher to camper ratio is 1:8 and our one-week sessions are offered full-day only (half-day options are not available).

The Power of Words Debate Camp provides campers with opportunities to advocate for an idea, form a response, and speak on a point through impromptu public speaking games, debate feuds and formal debate rounds. Kids will gain confidence, build resilience and develop effective collaboration skills.

At this camp, our impromptu and formal debates happen in partnership, normally in teams of four speakers who work together to develop sound cases, predict the opposition’s counterpoints, and brainstorm effective rebuttals. We aim for each camper to participate in two debate rounds daily. Campers will receive constructive feedback after each round, with the intent to advance their delivery and critical thinking skills.

Our goal is to help campers become comfortable speaking before a crowd and learn to clearly express their ideas and information in an well-organized and cohesive manner. This camp is for all aspiring young students, from the shy and reserved to the keen and confident speakers!

To learn more about our programs, please visit our website at www.powerofwordsacademy.ca.  If you have any questions and/or would like to book a free assessment for your child, you can reach me by phone at (647) 285-4499 or by email at [email protected]  

Hafsa Esmail
Campus Director - North York and Richmond Hill 

Accommodations:

Is Power of Words Academy technology free? Yes
Students will have use of Chromebooks, recording and audio visual equipment in class.

• The Skills Gap...

  According to the Bloomberg Recruiter Report (based on a survey of 1320 job recruiters at more than 600 companies), the most wanted and hardest to find skills include:

  1. Communication skills
  2. Strategic Thinking
  3. Creative problem solving 
  4. Leadership skills

  These results are not surprising. Our schools do not have sufficient resources and expertise to build a strong foundation in these areas.

  At Power of Words Academy, we aim to fill this gap, by teaching students to be critical thinkers and strong communicators.

  If you would like to learn more about our program, please visit our website (powerofwordsacademy.ca) or message us.